Jar Of Hearts (Kuroshitsuji)
by IamJustaCloud
Summary: When Alice Daniels's car breaks down, she does not expect to be abducted by a serial killer, nor does she expect to wake up outside the old fashioned city of London, within a widely known anime called Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler). SebastianxOc Rated T for graphic imaginary and language.
1. Prologue:

Prologue:

**_Demons don't fall in love._**

**_They are devoid of emotion. They have lost the ability to feel._**

**_Yet they take on human-forms that are attractive and appealing to the naked human eye. With their perfectly shaped bodies and their inhuman abilities, they make humans fall head over heels for them and offer up their hearts. _**

**_But what do the demons do with those hearts? _**

**_Why, they keep them in a jar, of course._**


	2. Chapter One:

Letting out a soft sigh, she leans forward and fiddles with the heater on the dash, cranking the heat all the way up. Something was wrong with the stupid air conditioning again. Ice cold air blasts through the vents, chilling her to the core. Heavy droplets of rain pound against the car, almost rocking the small four door sedan on its wheels.

"Stupid fucking car," The blonde bangs her fist against the wheel, voice breaking off into a round of grumbled profanities as the horn blares loudly. For a brief moment, the blast of the horn seems to echo endlessly within the dreary night. And then the car shuts off completely, lights flickering off and air conditioning falling silent with one whoosh.

The sound of the rain pelting the car magnifies tenfold.

She slumps backwards, back hitting the back of the seat with a small thump. Her eyes flutter shut and her lips press into a tight, firm line.

"Of all nights," The words bristle past her lips in a breathy growl, "to run out of gas."

Her head rolls over, angling towards the window next to her face, and her eyes open. She stares at the window, watching the long streaks of clear rain stream heavily down the glass. The doors are locked and everything is secure. She would just wait the storm out and then try to call her parents again.

Something slams into the car, full force, shattering the driver's side window. She screams loudly, shards of glass burrowing deeply into the milky expanse of her skin, and scrambles back, trying feverishly to get away from the broken window. A hand reaches through the glass and moves down, for the lock. Letting out another scream, her shaky hands fumble with the lock on the passenger's side door. She yanks it up and kicks open the door, rolling out into the pouring rain like a soccer ball.

But he's already there.

Thick, grubby fingers curl around her arms, pulling her forward. She lashes out with her feet, with her hands, trying desperately to escape.

Her nails catch the side of his face, digging deeply into the skin of his cheek.

His hands disappear and she fumbles back. Her side slams into the rear of the car, almost knocking her over, and pain rushes through her body, but she tries to push off from the car and get away.

"Dammit!" The low, feral growl rumbles out from behind her.

And it's the last thing she hears before a cool, inky blackness washes over her like a tidal wave.

A bird chirps lightly nearby, stirring the small blonde girl. She twitches awake, nose scrunching up in distaste, and sits up. Her eyes open halfway, sleep making her eyelids heavier than a pile of bricks, and she looks around.

Vibrant green trees, mixed with elegant swirls and dots of the bright crystal blue sky above and dashes of brown bark, surround her on all fronts. A small choked gasp hikes up her throat. She scrambles back, body alert, and dusty pebbles scrape against her hands. Sharp, fiery pain emanates from her hip, rendering her motionless. She bites back a cry, bending forward, and squeezes her eyes shut.

The pain is so intense that all thought flies out of her mind, dissolving into a fiery blaze of agony.

"Gah," She cries, nails digging into the heels of her palms. Her fingers are curled into tight fists, the skin of her knuckles turning a ghastly bone white, and she kneads them into the ground. Carefully, she pushes herself up and leans against a tree for support. Just standing on her right leg sends a monsoon of pain oozing through her body.

She peels her sweats down.

"Oh my god."

A huge, nasty bruise covers the front of her right hip, curling around the side in an abundance of dark nauseating bluish purple. Suddenly feeling really sick, she brings the waistband of the sweats back up and swallows thickly.

"Oh my god," She shakes her head.

What happened? Where did she get that?

How did she even get here?

Dull pain boils inside her head. Her hands raise shakily, scratching at her temples, eyes squeezing shut. She continues to shake her head.

So trying remember things was obviously out of the question.

Her old, tattered nurse shoes crunch fresh blades of grass and old leaves as she carefully treads alongside the narrow pebbled path she'd scraped her hands on earlier. Stains tarnish her blood red t-shirt and her knee-length gray sweats are torn. Lifting her hands, she runs her fingers through her long blonde hair, which spills out of a ponytail, raking leaves and dirt out of the tangled strands.

She barely has time to register the sound of two horses galloping heavily behind her, letting out screeching brays.

The impact of two horses trampling over her body almost knocks her unconscious, back into the dark black abyss she'd woken from. She swallows a mouthful of dirt, of dust, of pain. Black spots cloud her vision.

"Oh my goodness!" A shrill, disturbed voice cries.

She groans softly in pain, arms twitching towards her person, trying to push herself up off the ground. Pebbles dig into her skin. Her hip roars with agony.

Two hands grab her shoulders.

Panic surges through her. Her heartbeat races and a shrill, terrified scream rips past her lips. With a sudden burst of adrenaline, she pushes herself up and lashes out at the hands, trying desperately to escape.

"Whoa, whoa!" The man gasps, dodging her swings carefully, "I'm sorry! I won't hurt you!"

Her whole body freezes.

He stares at her, green-yellow eyes wide with fear, enlarged behind round glasses. Strands of his long brown hair fall into his face, but most are pulled back into a low ponytail, held in place with a bright red ribbon.

And he wears the strangest clothes.

She trembles, adrenaline replacing her blood, but refuses to move. The sound of a door clicking open breaks through the harsh, tense silence and her eyes dart over to the Old English-style carriage. A woman with short blood-red hair pokes her head out, matching crimson eyes wide.

"Grell?" She wonders, eyes roaming all over the blonde's body curiously, "What's going on? Who is she? You didn't hit her, did you?"

"I-I didn't mean to, my lady!" The strange man, Grell, shrills, fumbling around in the space between the carriage and the blonde. "I-I thought...I thought she heard them...the horses!"

The woman painted red steps out of the carriage, ignoring Grell as he scrambles to her side, trying to help her out of the carriage. She makes her way over to the blonde, red eyes curious, and stops in front of her.

"What peculiar clothes." She muses.

The blonde tenses, eyes narrowed. "Ditto."

Surprise flits across the woman's features and she glances down at her bright, crimson red dress. The dress was new, custom ordered to fit her style and bodice. She'd seen to the designs herself. "Do you not like it?"

The blonde's lips purse. "I mean, it's alright, for something from the Victorian Era or something."

"What do you mean?"

"Just..." The blonde looks her over once more and then shakes her head, "Never mind. It looks fine." She falls silent, deciding not to try to argue her point further. Even though the dress seemed completely out of style, the blonde sensed that it wasn't worth the fight.

The woman in red stares at her silently, red eyes hard. "Where are your parents? What were you doing wandering around out here, so far away from London?"

"L-London?" The blonde's eyes widen incredulously, almost to the point of popping like balloons. She'd never left Ohio, much less America. How did she get to London?

"Yes London." The woman retorts smoothly, eyes narrowing. She stares at the blonde for a few more moments, watching the girl press her palm to her forehead and sort through her jumbled thoughts, and then breaks the silence.

"You're a lost soul, aren't you?"

The blonde twitches, "A what?"

"A lost soul." The woman straightens up, a small smile stretching at her bright red lips, "You don't have a family or any idea where you're going, do you?"

Words fumble past the blonde's lips in a mangled mess. Of course she has a family. Her mom, dad, annoying little brother Thomas. But she can't seem to get her mouth and tongue to work with her.

"I've got it!" The woman claps her hands together, lips tugging back to reveal her bright pearly white teeth, "I'll take you in! You obviously need to be taught how to be a lady and something just must be done about your wardrobe."

She takes a strand of blonde in between two fingers, pulling it in into the space in front of the blonde's face. "And you obviously need a bath."

The blonde twitches again.

"Come along." The woman chirps, spinning around and starting for the carriage. She beckons the blonde with her hand, gesturing for her to follow her. Grell adjusts his glasses, brows furrowing in confusion.

"B-but," The girl trails off as the woman climbs into the carriage, using Grell for support. Once the woman is settled inside, Grell turns back and holds out a hand, a smile gracing his features.

It doesn't quite reach his eyes, she notices, as she stiffly takes his hand. Grell helps her up into the carriage, brows furrowing even more so when she lets out a small hiss of pain, and sits down on dark red cushioned bench-across from the woman.

Said woman smiles cheerfully as Grell closes the door. "My name is Angelina Durless, but, like most of the people I know, you may call me Madame Red."

Her eyes lock onto the blonde's heart-shaped face. "What shall I call you?"

The blonde exhales softly, meeting Madame Red's gaze.

"Alice. My name is Alice."


	3. Chapter Two:

Alice fiddles her fingers in her lap nervously, glazed over eyes glued to the outside world that passes through the window on the door of the carriage. Madame Red drones on and on, something about her nephew and how Alice didn't have time to get ready. She'd apparently been run over while Madame Red was on her way to visit the estate and, because they were running late, they didn't have time to bathe her or dress her properly.

She personally didn't care. Her sweats were comfortable and her hair was out of her face. The only thing that bothered Alice was the large, throbbing bruise on her hip.

"You will address him as Lord Phantomhive," Madame Red's voice barely breaks through her thoughts, "and you must promise to be polite and courteous. Normally, I would introduce you as my maid or servant."

The woman pauses, eyes examining Alice.

"But I do believe you are different." She muses finally, almost too soft for Alice to hear over the sounds of horses and wheels crunching pebbles, "So I will introduce you differently; as my long lost niece."

Madame Red's eyes flash.

"You do have some of her characteristics. Ciel will not be able to tell the difference."

Alice meets her gaze, quietly accepting her challenge. This woman was offering her food, shelter, clothes, and warmth for such a little price. If she had to play as this Earl's sister, she would do so easily.

Speaking of food...

A loud, deafening growl echoes throughout the carriage. Madame Red pauses, lips curled around unspoken words, and stares at Alice.

"What...What was that?"

Alice lightly touches her stomach. How long had she been asleep on the side of the road?

"My stomach, obviously." The blonde grimaces at the sharp pain in her head, "I'm hungry."

Madame Red blinks, nodding slightly. "Well, we will be there momentarily. Once we arrive, I will ask Grell to quickly whip something up. When did you last eat?"

"I don't know."

"Do not," The woman reprimands, eyes sharp, "Remember, you are a lady. Ladies do not contract their words. They speak proper English..."

Alice resists the urge to roll her eyes and slumps back slightly. She grew up in the suburbs of Ohio, where words like 'fuck' and 'bitch' were equivalent to other words like 'hello' and 'goodbye'. Sneakers, sweats, and t-shirts were her life and take-out food was the little cherry on top of it all.

Alice would never be a proper lady, no matter how much she tried.

The scenery outside seems to shift, thick trees thinning out into smaller, flower-filled trees and shrubbery. Alice scoots a little closer to the window, almost pressing her nose flat against the glass. A huge, rustic white mansion lays nestled into the land, surrounded by a beautiful garden. The carriage rolls to a stop before the large home, right in front of the huge mahogany front doors, and Grell appears in front of the window. Alice gasps, surprised to see his sudden face, and scrambles back.

Madame Red chuckles lightly, fashioning a coy smile upon her features.

Grell opens the door, bowing hastily. "So sorry, my lady. I didn't mean to frighten you again."

He helps Madame Red out first. She carefully steps down, eyes scanning over the mansion until they land on the Phantomhive butler, who stands at the base of the entrance steps, smiling thinly in greeting.

The woman smiles widely. "Oh how lovely. I forgot how handsome Ciel's butler is."

Alice's brows furrow with concentration as Grell offers her a hand. She takes it and carefully eases up off the bench, jaw clenching tightly around the sharp pain in her hip at the movement. He helps her down the step and out of the carriage.

"Hey, Grell?" Alice grimaces, hand twitching towards her hip.

"Hmm?" He hums, stiffening slightly.

"Do you have any Tylenol...or Advil?"

The butler blinks.

Once.

Twice.

"What?"

Alice sighs softly, stepping away from him and shaking her head. "Never mind." She shouldn't have asked anyways. If they'd gone to all this trouble to make it seem like the 19th century, they wouldn't have Tylenol or Advil or any other normal pain killers.

Grell scratches his head nervously, brows furrowed. "My lady, if there's anything I can do..."

"It's nothing." Alice shakes her head, starting towards Madame Red, who is already at the door with a tall dark haired male.

"But," Grell shuts the door to the carriage and grabs Alice's arm, trying to help her walk, "you're limping."

"Let go!"

Madame Red pauses at the shout, turning swiftly. Alice glares at Grell, who has scuttled several feet back. He stares at her like a terrified fish, eyes wide and round, mouth hanging open, lips moving around soundless words.

"Alice?" Madame Red calls, frowning with worry.

The blonde doesn't answer. Head down, she limps towards the woman in red silently, features pinched up into a painful scowl.

Madame Red's frown deepens. "Your hip," She says softly, pity dripping heavily from her words and tone, "I almost forgot you had gotten injured in the accident."

"I'm fine." Alice grinds out, stopping before the woman.

"Contractions." Madame Red berates.

"If you will allow, my lady," The man interludes, wine eyes flashing, "Once I escort you to the drawing room, I will rummage up some pain killers."

Alice huffs. "Well I asked Grell if you had any Tylenol, but he didn't seem to know what that was!"

The man blinks, slender black brow lifting elegantly, but doesn't comment. Madame Red stares at the blonde for a few moments, frowning deeply. What was this Tylenol?

"Sebastian," The woman shakes her head after a few moments, eyes flickering towards the dark man, "Would you mind finding Alice a dress? Or something she could wear instead of...that? And maybe draw a bath?" Madame Red stares at Alice's sweats in distaste, tugging on a strand of the girl's dirt encrusted hair.

Alice swats at her hand, shooting the woman a quick glare.

"Right away," Sebastian dips into a low bow, watching the two through strands of his messy ebony hair. "Please follow me."

Madame Red shoots a narrowed look towards Grell, who squeaks lightly and rushes to Alice's side. This time, Alice doesn't protest as the butler takes her arm and helps her through the mansion. Sebastian opens the door to a large, beautifully decorated parlor room, where several others sit around an expensive looking pool-table. Madame claps her gloved hands. "Oh! I just love pool."

"Care to join, Madame Red?" A small, eye-patch wearing boy smirks at the woman, sitting comfortably in a large, cushioned red chair. He watches as Madame Red picks up an extra stick and greets the other men in the room, lone blue orb flickering past her towards the door, where his butler stands. Sebastian smirks coyly and then closes the door.

And then turns to Grell and Alice.

"Let's get you cleaned up, hmm?"

He offers her his arm, dismissing Grell with a sharp look, and Alice frowns, taking it. "The dress you pick better not be poofy. Or big. Or pink. If it's pink, I'll shove it down your throat."

She shoots him a sharp look out of the corner of her eyes, silently backing up her threat.

"No pink then," Sebastian smiles coolly, "Do you have a particular preference?"

"Blue."

Sebastian dips his head into a small nod. "Consider it done."

Alice's facial features scrunch up with annoyance. The elegant, smoothness of his voice made her feel inferior in ways unimaginable. She glances up at him through her lashes, examining his face. Sebastian has a strangely beautiful face, alluring, handsome, almost sculpted. Pale ivory skin, matched with wine colored eyes and dark hair; it was almost too much.

Too much beauty.

No one was that gorgeous.

"Is something wrong, my lady?" Sebastian, feeling her intense gaze, glances down at her, brow lifting in question.

"Everything is wrong." Alice hastily looks away.

"What do you mean?"

Alice doesn't answer.

Sebastian leads her down yet another hall and then, finally, opens the door to a large, luxurious bathroom. A huge, claw-footed porcelain tub sits directly in the center of the room, filled with warm, bubbly water, which strikes Alice as odd being that the butler hadn't left her sight, nor asked one of the other maids to draw the bath. An array of soaps and sponges sits in a large basket, which rests on a small shelf just within reach of the tub. Towels are stacked on the lower portion of said shelf, white and fluffy to the touch.

"Stay still, please, and I will help you undress." Sebastian comments loosely, as if he were asking her what she would like for dinner, as he releases her and starts towards the tub.

Alice stares at him, eyes wide. "You're joking, right?"

He glances back over his shoulder, face expressionless. "No."

She folds her arms across her chest, eyes hard. "There is no way in hell that I am letting you undress me, you fucking pervert."

Sebastian stiffens, straightening and turning back to face the tiny blonde. His eyes flash dangerously. "It is not polite to insult those serving you, Miss Alice. I do not tolerate rudeness."

His voice is ice cold; something akin to a warning emanating off of him in dark, foreboding waves.

But it doesn't deter Alice.

"I understand that, but asking to undress a lady is also extremely rude and crude and all of that shit." She growls at him, "And I don't tolerate that."

If possible, Sebastian's eyes grow even colder.

"My duties, as a butler, include-"

"I know, I know." Alice cuts him off, shaking her head. "You're supposed to help and all that crap. I forgot." She avoids his gaze, "I'm not used to...butlers."

Sebastian stares at her blankly.

On the inside, his thoughts are in an uproar, twisted with rage and malice. As much as he absolutely loved humans, he certainly detested their growing, disrespectful attitudes. It took all of his self restraint not to claw her little blue eyes out.

She pokes at the water. "I'm fine by myself. Could you please leave?"

Sebastian sets a towel out and gestures towards the shampoo. "We have a wide variety of soaps for choosing. What would you like?"

Alice resists the urge to grimace. Now he sounded so forced. "Do you have something that smells like lemons?"

The butler blinks. Lemons?

He knew for a fact that the Phantomhive household had nothing that smelt like lemons. Woman usually preferred flowery smells, like roses or lilacs. Or strawberries.

Not lemons.

"Not in this room. Please, allow me to go get some." Sebastian dips into a low bow.

Alice nods. Sebastian seems to vanish from the room and she sinks into a small chair in the corner of the bathroom, grimacing at the pain in her hip. The bruise seemed to be bone deep and, thankfully, a warm bath would hopefully help ease the pain.

Sebastian reappears quickly, smiling thinly, two bottles of yellow colored soaps in his hands. "Here we are," He announces as he enters the room.

Alice watches him set the soaps down, startled. "What are you, a vampire?"

Sebastian smirks, casting her an unamused look. "A vampire? No, my lady. I am simply one hell of a butler."

"Obviously," Alice grumbles under her breath, using the armrest of the chair to push herself up. "Now shoo, I'm going to get naked."

Sebastian sighs softly, face impassive. "As you wish, my lady."

And he vanishes once more.

"One hell of a butler, my ass." Alice growls as she tugs her shirt off and climbs into the tub, "You're just a vampire in denial."

She sinks into the water, nodding slightly.

"Like Edward Cullen."


	4. Chapter Three:

After shampooing and washing her hair and body, Alice stands up in the tub, automatically assaulted with an icy burst of air. She shivers violently and hugs herself tightly, trying to rub away the goose bumps on her arms. She turns around, reaching out for one of the towels stacked up on the shelf behind her, and revels in the warm relief that washes through her instead of pure agony.

But she pauses when she feels a fluffy towel being draped over her shoulders.

And screams.

Her scream seems to bounce off the tile flooring like a bouncy-ball, echoing loudly inside the bathroom, and almost shatters her own eardrums.

Sebastian sighs. "It is not really that big of a deal. I have seen plenty of naked women in my time."

Trembling, Alice shoots him a dark look over her shoulder. "Wow, that really makes me feel better."

"May I ask you a question, my lady?"

"Shoot." She wrenches the towel completely out of his hands and wraps it tightly around her torso. Carefully, she climbs out of the tub. Sebastian watches her for a few moments, silently hoping she'd slip on the wet tile, as he debates internally whether or not her response meant for him to ask his question.

Once Alice is situated, she shoots him an expectant look. "Well?"

"How did you get that bruise on your hip?"

Her cheeks flush scarlet. "Why the hell were you looking?"

Sebastian blinks, quietly waiting for an acceptable answer.

Alice glares at him, fiddling with the towel, wrapping it tighter around her body. She can feel his stare; it feels as if he's shooting lasers from his eyes and her body is on fire. Her lips press together tightly, turning bone white.

"Well?"

Her glare darkens. "It's none of your business."

He stares at her coolly for a few moments and then muses, "I guess you are right. Come along, let's get you dressed."

Alice doesn't move.

"I can dress myself."

"You know how to tie a corset?"

"And you do?" She counters, scowling.

"Of course I do." Sebastian gestures for her to follow him towards the large oval mirror that stands in the corner. Beside it, hanging on an opened divider, is a pretty satin pink dress with white lace sewn into the sleeves and hem. "What kind of butler would I be if I did not?"

"A horrible one, apparently," She growls under her breath, eyeing the horrid dress. As she nears, she picks up one of the sleeves between two fingers and looks to Sebastian, "This is for that pervert-comment, isn't it?"

He simply smiles at her.

She lets the sleeve drop and takes a step back, eyes closing. "I'm not wearing it."

"My lady," Sebastian sighs, "I did not pick it out. Madame Red did."

Alice twitches. One eye pops open and she stares at him.

"You're lying."

"I do not lie."

"That's bullshit."

Sebastian lets out another sigh, only this one is a little more exasperated. He turns elegantly and picks up a small pile of folded white cloth. He holds it out to her. "Here are your undergarments. You may change behind there. Come out once you are finished and I will help you into your corset."

"Do I have to wear it?" Alice picks up the top piece of clothing, letting it unfold. It's almost like a tank-top, with thin spaghetti straps and satin ribbon laced into the low, square shaped collar. Letting the shirt dangle over her arm, she grabs the other folded item and lets it unfold as well.

"Oh god, no."

The underwear are long, like normal 19th century underwear, with frilly lace wrapped around the waist.

Sebastian quirks a brow.

"I'll wear my old dirty ones." She continues, throwing the long underwear at his head and whirling around, combing through the pile of clothes strewn about. She almost forgets about the towel around her torso as she rips her white panties free from her sweats and catches it swiftly before it falls.

"But..." Sebastian starts as she walks behind the divider.

"No buts." Her eyes are barely visible over the top of the fanned object, narrowed and dangerous. "I'll wear the dress. Any dress. As long as I don't have to wear those. If you want me to wear clean underwear, you'll have to cut those."

Sebastian's eyes narrow. "These are perfectly fine."

She doesn't answer. Throwing the towel over the divider, she quickly tugs her old underwear on and the tank-top like undershirt. She wasn't exactly sure how dirty the underwear were, being that she couldn't remember a thing before getting run over by Madame Red. But they didn't feel bad. Or smell.

So she figured they were safe.

Alice steps out, running her fingers through her damp curls. "Seriously, though. Do I really have to wear that corset? I may not be able to feel it now, but that bruise is going to really hurt later if too much pressure is put on it."

Sebastian stares at her.

Well, her legs, really. He supposes it didn't matter if she wore the her own undergarments. It wasn't like anybody would see them. Sighing softly, the butler sets the new pair of underwear back down, neatly folding it so it doesn't wrinkle, and then picks up the bright white corset.

"It will not touch your bruise, my lady. Now turn around." He orders.

Growling under her breath, she turns her back to him. But, she figures, at least he wasn't fighting her over the underwear. He positions the corset and then begins to tie it. All the air inside her lungs seems to rush past her lips in one giant gush of air. She lets out a grunt, eyes squeezing shut, and clutches at the vanity counter in front of her.

"G-god, Seb-Sebastian! I can't breathe!" She grinds out, gulping in air.

He doesn't answer, working his way down the corset. Once he's finished, he picks up the dress and slides it over her head before she can protest. She forces her arms through the sleeves and grimaces at the high white collar. Sebastian ties her up once more and then adjusts the collar, tying a little pink bow around her throat.

"There," He says as he steps back, eyes scanning over her.

"What about my hair?" Alice quirks a brow. "I mean, if you're going to do everything else, you should at least fix that too."

He smirks thinly and picks up a brush. He pulls the top portion of her hair back, tying it securely with a matching pink ribbon, and then sets the brush back down. "Better?"

"Meh," She huffs, looking at herself in the mirror briefly, to make sure she at least didn't look like Medusa.

She catches Sebastian's gaze through the mirror. He stares at her silently, expressionless. "Thanks." She grumbles under her breath, ducking her head to escape his laser-eyes, and turns towards the door.

But she pauses, frowning at her old clothes and shoes. "Please don't get rid of those."

"As you wish." Sebastian gathers the clothing and folds it swiftly, setting it on top of the discarded underwear. Then he joins her at the door and takes her to the parlor.

"Very delicious," Madame Red compliments, setting her teacup down onto the tiny saucer, and she smiles kindly at Alice, who stands beside Sebastian. The strange butler had just dished out cups of tea-to which Alice politely declined.

She couldn't stand tea.

"Grell," The red woman continues, flashing said butler a look, "Learn something from Sebastian."

Grell deflates like a popped balloon. "Y-Yes."

The mistress continues on, a perverted grin stretching her lips back, "Just look at him." She reaches out and begins to rub poor Sebastian's butt, "I mean, this physique! You should quit this country job and come work for me in the city."

Alice snorts loudly, clamping her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter, and Sebastian shoots her an irritated look.

The little Earl clears his throat. "Madame Red."

"Oh! Sorry, right." The woman grins sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. She gestures towards Alice, motioning for the blonde to step closer. "My lord," She stands, resting a hand on Alice's shoulder, "I would like you to meet my long lost niece."

The Earl stiffens, lone blue eye widening considerably, locked on Alice's form.

"You look like a fish." Alice comments idly, head tilting slightly.

He chokes on air and tries to cough to cover it up. Madame Red closes her eyes, sighing loudly, and Sebastian presses his lips together. Lau and Ran-Mao, the last two occupants to the room, watch the blonde girl with curiosity and, on Lau's side, amusement.

"Your eye is going to pop out if you keep staring at me like that," Alice continues, face expressionless, taking amusement in the way the little Earl snaps his mouth shut and forces his eyes to narrow.

"Who are you really?"

"Your older half sister." Madame Red had created the back-story while in the carriage and Alice had done her best to memorize it. "Mother had me shipped off to America when she met your father."

He coughs, shifting in his seat. "I was not aware of any half siblings. Or that my mother was involved in any previous marriages."

"That is because she was not married," Madame Red interludes, smiling softly at the little Earl, "when she had Alice."

To play the part, Alice curls her fingers into tight fists and ducks her head. "Because I am the product of rape."

Madame Red squeezes her shoulder, making the movement visible to the others in the room.

"Oh," The Earl sets his tea down onto the table, gaze roaming all over the blonde, curiosity swelling up inside of him. If Madame Red said so, then the girl must not be a fake. His aunt would have probably been the only one to know if his mother had been...raped...and if this girl was actually his sister. "So I see."

"How interesting." Lau stands, rounding the table to examine the blonde. "So have you graced us with your presence in order to inquire about money? Or for more honest reasons?"

Alice's eyes widen.

Madame Red glares at him.

"I just came to say hello." The blonde answers kindly, before anyone can say anything, and she meets his gaze evenly.

Lau's lips stretch into a soft smile. "Well then, hello."

He takes her hand, dips into a small bow, and presses his lips to her milky skin.

The little Earl huffs, glaring heavily at the Chinese man. "That is enough. I will be the one to determine whether or not she is a fraud."

Lau backs off, chuckling softly, and Madame Red tries hard how to remember to breathe. While she'd coached Alice about her sister, there was still the chance that Ciel would ask something that not even she knew, or that Alice would forget under the pressure.

"Everyone, please step out, except you." The Earl nods towards Alice.

Sebastian leads the small group out and shuts the door softly. Alice stares at the door for a few moments and then looks back to the Earl, shoulders relaxing. She casts him a small smile.

He blinks at her. "You look just like mother."

"So do you." Alice retorts.

Sighing softly, the little Earl stands and walks closer, uncertainty seeping off of him in large waves. He stops about a foot away, staring up at her. The top of his head almost reached the nape of her neck. Alice was pretty sure she'd always been fairly short and petite, but like her underwear, she had no clue. All she could remember was Ohio, and her family there. And even those memories were starting to fade.

"I have a sister." His eye finally locks with hers.

Unspoken pain swirls around within that azure orb, clouding over the sharp, beautiful color and making it dull. Alice feels herself nod slightly, a frown seeping onto her features at the emotion in his eyes.

She almost gasps out in surprise when his small body collides with hers.

His arms curl around her midsection tightly, face burrowing into her chest. Alice stiffens, taken off guard, and then carefully coils her arms around his torso in response. He clings to her desperately, like a sickly child hanging onto a small thread of life. She frowns and rests her cheek atop his dark hair.

"You know that mother is dead, correct?" He separates from her after a few more moments of silence and stands stiffly before her, eyes glued to the floor.

Alice forces pain to flash through her features and whispers a hoarse, "I know. I'm so sorry I couldn't come sooner."

He glances up.

"I didn't even know you existed until I ran into Madame Red." Alice continues, lips pressing into a tight line, "I came to England in search of my family history and ended up bumping right into her."

Literally.

He nods slightly. "Well, you are welcome to stay here, Alice. I can have Sebastian prepare a room and one of the maids collect a wardrobe for you. Madame Red said something about your luggage being lost at sea?"

Alice scowls. "It was absolutely horrible. It started to storm terribly and the boat was rocking so much that an entire crate of luggage was knocked overboard. They had been transporting it to a lower level, because we had just departed, and they weren't able to save anything. I lost everything."

"You are right, that is terrible." He scowls slightly, "Have you thought about suing?"

"No," Alice lifts one shoulder in a half shrug, "It was just an accident and it wasn't like I'd lost anything that time couldn't replace. I was going to look for work once I got here."

"Nonsense." The little Earl dismisses her latter comment with a flick of his wrist. "You will stay here."

Alice shifts uncomfortably, "That's too much. I couldn't ask you for that."

"You're my sister." He sniffles stubbornly, "You don't have to ask."

She smiles and dips into a low bow, "Thank you, so much, my lord."

He glances at her out of the corners of his eyes.

"You may call me Ciel."


	5. Chapter Four:

Alice sits in between Ciel and Madame Red, twiddling her fingers within her lap. Boredom seems to emanate off of her in huge, rumbling waves that everyone but Alice seems to be oblivious to. Ciel converses with Madame Red and Lau lightly, talking about something unimportant.

The only thing her ears had picked up on was that Grell was staying here at the Phantomhive estate with her, to learn something from Sebastian.

Speaking of Sebastian, said butler was preparing some tea a few feet away. He was facing the table, so she could see his eyes, of which were focused intently on the kettle in his hands.

She fidgets uneasily. Alice wasn't a big fan of tea.

Her stomach went to rumble again, to remind her of how hungry she was, but Alice dug her clenched fist into the side of her middle, trying to stifle the sound.

But it still seemed to roar loudly through the room, like an escaped lion.

All eyes turn to her.

"Sorry," Alice avoids their gazes.

"Here we are." Sebastian smiles thinly, setting teacups and a small plate of cake on the table before the three occupants. He then rolls the cart over to Lau and Ran-Mao, who are seated on a small couch, and hands them tea and dessert.

Alice stares at her cup, watching small wisps of steam curl around within the air above the murky brown liquid. Her features twist into mild disgust.

"Is something wrong, Lady Alice?" Sebastian appears at her side.

The blonde girl jumps and lets out a loud curse, startling Ciel and Madame Red, who glance over at her, eyes wide. Alice scowls up at Sebastian. "Again, with your freaky vampire crap. Don't sneak up on me like that."

"I did not mean to frighten you." Sebastian blinks at her.

Alice doesn't respond, folding her arms across her chest.

"Do you not like your tea?"

"I don't like tea." Alice grumbles.

Sebastian leans down, brow quirked, "What was that?"

"I do not like tea." Alice grinds out a little louder, shooting the dark haired male a dirty look.

Ciel stares at her wide-eyed, "You do not like tea?"

"I had a bad experience with it when I was younger." Alice avoids his astonished gaze, lifting her fingers to fiddle with the edge of the table cloth. "So no, I don't really like it."

Sebastian picks up her plate and sets it on his little cart. "What would you like, my lady?"

Alice sighs softly. "Do you have lemonade?"

The butler blinks. "Yes, of course. I will go get some." He bows swiftly and vanishes from the room. Alice stares after him for a few moments, suspiciously.

He seriously was a vampire in denial. No human could be that gorgeous and move that fast.

Ciel clears his throat, gaining her attention. "So tell me about yourself, Alice?"

She blinks at him. "Well, what do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"Then we may be here for a while." She cracks a small smile.

And then shrugs, chewing on her lower lip. "I don't know really. I'm seventeen. I was born on April first, on the most foolish day of the year. I'm strange, weird, and very picky, obviously. I grew up in America."

She shakes her head, mind running dry.

"What was it like in America?" Madame Red wonders curiously.

"It's a lot like England, only less sophisticated." She blinks at the woman. Alice scans through her brain, trying to find more information on 19th century America. She is pretty sure she aced history; she could dimly remember a report card, so one would think it shouldn't be that hard. But her mind was completely blank.

Sebastian returns, holding a small glass pitcher of yellow liquid, and pours Alice a teacup full of lemonade. She thanks him silently, lifting the cup to her lips. Hesitantly, she takes a small sip.

And almost melts into a pool of pure bliss at the sugary tartness that explodes inside her mouth.

"Thank you." She thanks Sebastian again, taking another sip.

Lau stands holding his teacup. "So, do you believe the drug trafficker was one of your guests today?" He glances towards Ciel curiously.

Alice drowns in her lemonade, silently listening to them converse. Ciel shoots Lau an impassive look, "Perhaps."

"Why not leave the extermination to Lau?" Her attention is drawn towards Madame Red and Lau makes his way over to Ciel, standing behind the blue-eyed boy's chair, "A rat knows best where a rat's nest is, doesn't he?"

Lau leans against the chair, smiling smoothly. "I'm but a tame guinea pig, dedicated to my lord," His hand touches Ciel's head, "If the Earl instructs me not to act; I'm bound to do nothing."

Alice can practically see the flames spewing past Madame Red's lips as she yanks her nephew out of his chair, holding him possessively. "Watch it!" She growls, "You best keep your filthy paws off my darling nephew."

Lau blinks and shrugs lightly, "You wound me. I would never paw at him in his own dear home, Madame."

"Are you saying you would if you were elsewhere?" Madame Red lets Ciel drop, hands curling into tight fists at her side. The lower half of her face seems to stretch into a long, sleek red snout and a tail flicks out behind her. Alice bites her lips to hold back a snicker.

Madame Red would make one scary dragon.

The flames seem to increase their size as the dragon-lady points accusingly at Lau, "Careful, you are on thin ice now, sir!"

Ciel stands and carefully edges towards the door. He rubs at his head and twitches when Madame Red's voice hikes up an octave and Lau chuckles lightly. Alice watches the exchange with interest.

Maybe these people weren't as bad as she'd originally thought.

Sebastian makes his way over to Ciel and follows him out. The door clicks shut lightly.

"I hope you understand how protective I am of my dear nephew and-"

Alice sighs, setting her cup down, and stands. "Madame Red," the blonde inches towards the bickering two, lightly touching her arm, "Shouldn't we leave now?"

The woman in red pauses, blinking down at Alice. "Oh?" She looks around, just noticing her nephew's departure, and then looks back to Lau. She shoots the male a narrowed look and then nods towards Alice, "I will take my leave. You and Grell are to remain here. Ciel wished to get to more acquainted."

Alice nods slightly. "I know."

Madame Red lets out an exasperated sigh. "I will leave now. Good day, Lau, Ran-Mao." She smiles lightly and exits the room.

Lau touches a finger to his lips. "There's something fishy about that woman."

Alice blinks at him. "Oh?"

"Do not fret, little one." He pats her head, smiling smoothly at her. She can feel his eyes drift over her body. "That dress does not look right on your beautiful figure. What do you think of Ran-Mao's outfit?"

The blonde glances over towards the silent woman. Ran-Mao spins slowly, showing off her beautiful mini-kimono and vibrant blue jacket. Alice's eyes widen and then dart towards Lau, a grin tugging at her lips.

"You don't have to wear a corset, do you?"

* * *

"Where on earth did you get that outfit?" Sebastian looks like a fish out of his water. His eyes are wide, so wide in fact, that Alice is slightly afraid that they will fall off his face. Her fingers toy with the silky hem that falls just above the middle of her thighs.

Alice blinks owlishly at him. "I like it."

The kimono itself is a dark, ebony black, tied tightly with a crimson red sash. A matching crimson jacket covers her shoulders and arms, sleeves billowing out past her fingertips-black swirls stitched into the edges. She wears short black shorts beneath the kimono and black stockings that stretch up just above her knees.

It was so much better than that horrible pink dress.

And she could breathe.

That was a major plus.

Sebastian twitches, eyes falling shut. He lets out an exasperated sigh, hand moving up to rub at his temples. "A lady should not wear such-"

"But I like it." Alice's eyes narrow at him. She didn't want to hear his argument. No matter what he did, she was not wearing another stuffy dress like the one he'd put her in. "I think it's pretty."

His eyes flash open, glinting a bright crimson red.

"Vampire~" She sings under her breath.

The pie Sebastian holds in his free hand begins to tremble lightly. Sebastian stiffens the small rattling of the pie-tin against the plate quiets. His eyes snap open. "I guess it is up to the young master whether or not you shall be allowed to remain clothed like that." He eyes her kimono distastefully.

Alice's lips stretch into a wide grin. "Yes!"

The blonde pumps her fist into the air and embarks on an extremely dangerous, embarrassing happy dance. Sebastian watches her mutely, silently making sure she doesn't destroy a vase or two.

"Sebastian!"

Alice pauses, glancing back over her shoulder. A maid is running towards them, eyes hidden behind large, circular glasses. She waves a letter around wildly. "I just found a letter, yes I did!"

"Addressed to whom?" Sebastian blinks at her.

"To the servant of the Earl of Phantomhive!" She shouts around heavy pants, chest heaving painfully. Alice frowns. Ciel was the Earl, so was the letter addressed to Sebastian?

"Gah!" The maid trips over her untied shoelaces.

Alice's eyes widen.

Time seems to slow into a crawling pace.

The maid flies through the air towards Alice and Sebastian, lips stretched around a coarse scream. Sebastian tosses the pie into the air, just in time for the maid to plow into Alice, who in turn plows into the butler. As the trio goes down, the window beside them shatters with a piercing shriek and the vase sitting on a tall pedestal bursts. Glass clinks against the floor, falling like rain.

All the air in Alice's chest rushes past her lips in a pained wheeze.

Everything falls silent.

Sebastian reaches up, catching the pie as it falls back to the ground. The tin clatters against the serving tray lightly and then settles as if the dessert had never moved.

The maid lifts her head.

Alice lets out another wheeze. "Now I know how sandwich meat feels."

"Gah!" The maid cries, leaping off of Alice and Sebastian, scuttling back. Alice sits up, practically sitting on Sebastian's stomach, and rubs the back of her head.

Sebastian clears his throat. "Do you mind?"

"Yes." Alice shoots a glare down at him from over her shoulder. She takes a few moments longer to sit on him, just to spite him. Then she climbs off his person. She brushes off her skirt and steps aside, watching him gracefully stand.

The maid trembles, cheeks flushing a bright red.

"Mey-Rin, the letter please." Sebastian straightens his coat, glancing towards the maid.

"Eh?" Mey-Rin cocks her head to the side, confusion flitting through her features, "Letter?" Sebastian blinks at her and realization dawns over the maid's face. She jumps slightly. "Oh! Yes, sir!"

She holds out the letter, hand shaking violently.

Sebastian opens the letter and begins to read aloud. While Mey-Rin fangirls in the corner, Alice leans over his arm, eyes scanning over the letter. Sebastian shoots her a frown but continues to read on.

She scowls. "He's been captured? By who?"

"Master has plenty of enemies. He is a very powerful person." Sebastian answers absently, folding up the letter.

"Sebastian?" Two blonde males appear at the end of the hall. They make their way to the trio, concern marring their features. The older looking blonde chews on an unlit cigarette, blue eyes traveling towards Alice. The smaller has large, innocent turquoise orbs and a cheerful smile to his features, even when he's worried.

"What is going on?" Lau and Ran-Mao appear, followed by a fumbling Grell.

"Who is this?" The taller squints at Alice.

"This is Lady Alice," Sebastian smiles thinly at Lau and Ran-Mao before looking towards the two blondes. "She is Master's elder half-sister and she will be staying with us from now on. Lady Alice, this is Baldroy, Finnian, and Mey-Rin."

Alice smiles brightly at them. "Nice to meet you."

"You can just call me Bard, m'lady." The elder blonde dips into a cheesy bow. Finnian matches her grin and nods enthusiastically, "And me, Finni."

"There's no need to worry," Sebastian is saying to Lau as the introductions fade, regaining everyone's attention, and he hands the pie to Bard, "Take care of this, will you? I have some pressing matters to attend to. Now if you'll excuse me."

"No."

Sebastian pauses, blinking towards Alice.

Alice shoots him a cheesy grin. "Just kidding."

The butler lets out another exasperated sigh, shakes his head, and then seems to vanish. Bard eyes the pie, "So...when you say clean, uh," He turns around to grin at Sebastian, "That means we can eat this, right...Sebastian?"

The hallway is empty.

Alice shakes her head. "So you notice the vampireness too..."

Bard, Finni, and Mey-Rin stare at her. "What?"

"I think Sebastian is a vampire, but he keeps denying it."

Bard blinks, looking thoughtful. "That would make a lot of sense."

"It would, yes it would." Mey-Rin nods.

"But don't vampires drink blood?" Lau taps his chin.

Alice shudders, imagining Sebastian bent over Ciel's blue-tinted corpse, blood trailing down his chin. She could see it.

And so could the others, apparently, for a shudder rips through Lau and the servants.


End file.
